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Chapter 2 - Part 4 - Qualities And Drawbacks - Section M
Magic Magnet 2-POINT DRAWBACK Your character attracts spells and magical energy - basically she is a lighting rod for the arcane. If any sort of spell backfires and affects the wrong target, it hits her. If random magical energy has been released in the vicinity, it always rebounds on her in some way. These effects are rarely directly harmful, but she could end up invisible or with rabbit ears if she is too close to a ritual that goes wrong. Magical Family 0 to 2-POINT QUALITY OR DRAWBACK Witches and Warlocks do have children and families. Your character has magical relatives—she may be part of a hereditary coven of witches, or she may simply have a father or aunt who dabbles in the occult and is willing to teach a bright and interested teen or young adult. While life can sometimes be dangerous for a character with this background, having a parent or other relation who can offer useful advice (and even cover with the authorities and other adults for the Cast Member’s more questionable activities) is a rare gift. The cost of this Quality depends on exactly who the relative is and how old the character is. It’s free for Cast Members over the age of 18, as long as they possess at least one level of Sorcery. Characters this age or older are also expected to provide their own magic books (purchasing the Occult Library Quality separately). For younger Cast Members, having an uncle, aunt, grandparent who works magic costs one point (this assumes that the character’s parents know nothing of magic). It costs two points for a teenage character to have a parent who uses magic—it’s huge when your parents are cool with you using the mojo. Teenage Cast Members may consult their relation’s two-point Occult Library, but gaining access to any of these spells requires asking their family’s permission (or sneaking around behind their backs). Of course, this background only costs points if the parent is a good person who honestly wishes to help her child. Having magic-using parents who simply want to use and control their child as a source of power is instead a 2-point Drawback. The only significant limit to your character learning magic from her family is that the character’s parent or other relative will not give her access to spells of Power Level four or higher until she has reached maturity. Few mothers want their teenage daughters or sons to be attempting to work with the most potent and dangerous forms of magic, especially while they are living at home (it’s really hard to get that stuff out of the carpet). Magical Group VARIABLE QUALITY OR DRAWBACK Magicians often work together. From technopagans who work spells on the net, to vile cults who summon demons in the basement of their fraternity house, there’s a wide range of different mystical organizations. Belonging to one of these groups is a variable Quality (or possibly even a Drawback) whose cost depends upon the nature of the group. Cast Members can either choose to belong to one of the groups listed there, or to one that your Director creates. The base cost equals the cost of the group’s Occult Library Quality. This is modified as discussed below: MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO AID ONE ANOTHER WHEN THEY ARE IN NEED: -1 MEMBERS SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND TEACHING: +1 MEMBERS ARE GENERALLY WILLING TO HELP EACH OTHER CAST DIFFICULT SPELLS: +1 MEMBERS MUST ABIDE BY A CODE OF HONOR: Cost of Honorable Drawback MEMBERS MUST OBEY THE COMMANDS OF THE LEADER OR LEADERS: -2 MEMBERS CANNOT LEAVE THE GROUP WITHOUT PERMISSION: -1 MEMBERS MUST PERFORM CRIMINAL OR DARKLY MAGICAL ACTS: -2 THE GROUP IS EXCEPTIONALLY WEALTHY OR WIELDS SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL POWER: +2 MEMBERS EACH GAIN SKILL LEVELS: +1 per skill level MEMBERS EACH GAIN QUALITIES OR DRAWBACKS: Cost or value of gained trait Other group features may be added as desired. Costs should be devised based on the examples provided in Chapter One: The Witchy World. Mental Problems 1 TO 3-POINT DRAWBACK Your character has some major malfunction. Maybe her parents abused her, or she is in dire need of some Prozac. The short circuit could be quirky or downright insane, depending on how severe the problem is. Some common Mental Problems follow. Types Cowardice Your character is more afraid of danger and confrontation than normal people. She may shun danger altogether, or only risk it when she’s sure she has the upper hand. Use the value of this Drawback as a penalty to rolls to resist fear. Cruelty This is a person who actually likes to inflict pain and suffering. At the lower level, she reserves this for people who have angered or attacked her, but at the highest level she is a sadist with no feelings of remorse (this is probably not appropriate for most Cast Members, but is typical among vampires and demons). Delusions Your character believes something that just isn’t true - she might be a confirmed racist, or convinced that spirits whisper words of wisdom only she can hear (note that in the Buffyverse this might not be a delusion after all). Obsession A particular person or task dominates your character’s life, to the exclusion of most other things. To pursue her Obsession, she will go to almost any length (as limited by her morality). She may neglect other duties, both personal and professional, to pursue that which fascinates her. The “obsessee” may be a person (who may or may not be aware of your character’s feelings, but who almost certainly would be upset about their intensity) or a task (like getting revenge on somebody, or performing some important or notorious feat). Paranoia “They” are out to get you. Trust no one. Everything is a conspiracy and everyone is keeping secrets. Your character never knows when somebody is going to turn against her, but she knows they all will, sooner or later. A paranoid character expects treachery at every turn, and rarely trusts even her friends and relatives. Now in the Buffyverse, where monsters exist and secret organizations have run centuries-old conspiracies, being paranoid is somewhat healthy. However, a character with this Drawback is seriously bent. This makes her testimony less likely to be believed, even when she is speaking the truth. Paranoid characters often suffer other Emotional and Mental Problems (point value determined separately). Phobia Something gives your character the wiggins - snakes, heights, enclosed spaces, public appearances, etc. The harder it is to overcome the fear, the more this Drawback is worth. Whenever the character faces the subject of her phobia, she must make a Fear Test with a penalty equal to the value of the Drawback. If the situation is normally frightening (say, someone afraid of snakes now faces the mayor in True Demon form—yikes!), add the Phobia value to the regular Fear Test penalty. Recklessness This character is supremely overconfident and impulsive, willing to take incredible risks, often without thinking of the consequences (can you say “Faith?”). Most of the time, she never looks before she leaps—and gets into all kinds of trouble as a result. A Reckless character prefers to act first and think about it later. She says what’s on her mind with no consideration for diplomacy or courtesy, rushes into dangerous situations, and rarely wastes time on second thoughts. Reckless does not necessarily mean suicidal, however. Acting on impulse no doubt puts the character in jeopardy, but doing something that is clearly lethal is not roleplaying, it’s just stupid. Zealot A zealot is a person whose beliefs (political, religious or personal) are so strong that they dominate her life and behavior. She is willing to sacrifice anything, including her life (or the lives of others) in service to the ideals she holds dear. This character is a danger to herself and others, and shows a total disregard for the law whenever it conflicts with her beliefs. Mad cultists, wild-eyed crusader types (like the Knights of Byzantium) and other mixed nuts qualify for this Drawback. This differs from Obsession in scope (Zealot behavioral dictates are more comprehensive) and severity. This Drawback is rare outside of the Deranged level. Your Director will determine if lower severity levels are even possible. Levels The higher the value of the Mental Problems, the more debilitating it is. Generally, Cast Members should not have Mental Problems worth over two points, although playing the lunatic can be fun every once in a while. Mild The hang-up is controllable and your character seldom allows the problem to control her during times of crisis, especially when friends and loved ones are involved. People may not even know something is wrong with the character. This is a 1-point Drawback. Severe The problem is severe, and affects your character’s daily life. Anybody who knows the character realizes or strongly suspects that something is wrong with her. This is a 2-point Drawback. Deranged The character is clearly deranged, with no regard for such considerations as the law, the safety of others, or the integrity of her immortal soul (you know, little things like that). That does not mean she is completely berserk. She may control herself out of fear of being stopped or discovered by the law or other major threat, but when no such fear exists, watch out. This is a 3-point Drawback. Minority 1- TO 3-POINT DRAWBACK Your character is considered a second-class citizen because of race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual preference. He is a member of a small or disadvantaged group, disliked by establishment types. People of the dominant group tend to act negatively towards him; many are automatically suspicious, fearful, or annoyed at him for no reason other than what he is. This Drawback has a one-point value to reflect the relatively enlightened 21st-century America, where people cannot be denied service in a restaurant because of the color of their skin (in most places, at least). In other settings, where prejudice has the full weight of the law and tradition behind it, this Drawback might be worth two to three points. In general, a character with the Demon/Half-Demon Quality can only be a Minority as part of his place in demonic society. Of course, this requires some formal demonic society that impacts the character's life regularly. Being oppressed by general human society doesn't count. Humans who recognize a demon among them think "I'm not seeing this" or "Help, run!" not "What an inferior being." Misfit/Outcast Misfit 2-POINT DRAWBACK Dorks, squibs, freaks, and geeks—all names for the misfits of society. In school or out, they are the losers who seem to have a permanent “Kick Me” sign tattooed on their foreheads. They are to bullies what fire hydrants are to dogs. Misfits don’t interact well socially; they have a -2 penalty to Influence Tasks. They also attract the attention of any cruel or abusive character. Misfit their heads down/Unfamiliar with modern society 3-POINT DRAWBACK Dorks, squibs, freaks, and geeks—all names for the misfits of society. In school or out, they are the losers who seem to have a permanent “Kick Me” sign tattooed on their foreheads. They are to bullies what fire hydrants are to dogs. Misfits don’t interact well socially; they have a -2 penalty to Influence Tasks. They also attract the attention of any cruel or abusive character. Some make it a practice to avoid paying too much attention to their surroundings to spare themselves hurtful looks or whispers - these types suffer a -1 penalty to all Notice rolls. Others are the proverbial "fish out of water" and are unfamiliar with modern society (they may be from out of town - way out of town). This detriment is mostly roleplayed but should affect the character's behavior with regularity. Outcast 4-POINT DRAWBACK Dorks, squibs, freaks, and geeks—all names for the misfits of society. In school or out, they are the losers who seem to have a permanent “Kick Me” sign tattooed on their foreheads. They are to bullies what fire hydrants are to dogs. Misfits don’t interact well socially; they have a -2 penalty to Influence Tasks. They also attract the attention of any cruel or abusive character. If their difference is clear and the community as a whole shuns them, they are considered second-class citizens and suffer repression from the local authorities. These folks are burdened with a four-point drawback. Outcast their heads down/Unfamiliar with modern society 5-POINT DRAWBACK Dorks, squibs, freaks, and geeks—all names for the misfits of society. In school or out, they are the losers who seem to have a permanent “Kick Me” sign tattooed on their foreheads. They are to bullies what fire hydrants are to dogs. Misfits don’t interact well socially; they have a -2 penalty to Influence Tasks. They also attract the attention of any cruel or abusive character. If their difference is clear and the community as a whole shuns them, they are considered second-class citizens and suffer repression from the local authorities. Some make it a practice to avoid paying too much attention to their surroundings to spare themselves hurtful looks or whispers - these types suffer a -1 penalty to all Notice rolls. Others are the proverbial "fish out of water" and are unfamiliar with modern society (they may be from out of town - way out of town). This detriment is mostly roleplayed but should affect the character's behavior with regularity.Category:Rules